American Beauty

I was bored on this rainy weekend and so decided to watch a few movies on my PVR. One of the movies I watched was American Beauty. I had seen it before but somehow watching it for the 3^rd or 4^th time, there are scenes that hit me, you know, when you read a book 10 years later or watch a movie when you are in a different frame of mind, different phase of your life?

The part of Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening’s marriage falling apart is pretty clear. It is amazing and yet so sad, how each person is in a different space and oblivious of each other. Wife is dealing with her own issues, husband feels unloved and is bored with his life, daughter is just a typical teenager but unfortunately her parents are both not really present for their daughter…too caught up in their misery.

The part that gets to me from the start is the family next door. I feel for the son with a father so tied up with his “should” and “should nots”. Perhaps the military reinforced those “should’s” but it is sad that each person in that family is so impacted with his toxic behaviour. I had not remembered the ending…wonder why I wiped that from my memory! It just broke my heart to see that!! I guess it is that defense mechanism that I have always had that “forgets” instantly.

I really felt sad but not surprised that this military man was homophobic and again not surprised that he had homosexual desires…but to end the way it did floored me. I would have understood if he would have taken his own life but not this…

As Kevin Spacey narrates in the end, it dawned on me just how short life is and how precious it is…Nite world. Clr